MARYLAND WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER | MONDAY MEMO | ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN

MARYLAND WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER | MONDAY MEMO | ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN

If at first the Ellie Goulding song popped into your head when you saw the title… don’t worry. I, too, have been humming it all morning. Once I decided to share this blog, I knew it was the perfect caption for it.

I’ve been photographing weddings for six years and I learned this weekend that I have been extremely fortunate. Avoiding life’s obstacles is a combination of experience, being prepared, and communicating Plan B.

Then again, I can’t deny luck or in this case… fate.

WHAT HAD HAPPENED WAS…

On Saturday I was getting ready to leave for wedding two of the weekend. We had the car packed and ready to go, and I decided to fill the food for my dogs before heading out. As I started up the steps, I fell short on our wooden stairs and stubbed my toe. Pain spread through my foot and the food from the bowl flew into the air like confetti. I sat down immediately crying in pain, sure that I had broken it.

But, I hadn’t.

The feeling of looking down at your foot and seeing that something isn’t where it is supposed to be is surreal. I was so wedding focused and in an instant, I was staring down at my throbbing toe which had been disconnected from the nail. Jessica, my second shooter, was at my home and rushed to the fridge for ice. My husband ran to our medical supplies, while Jessica called her brother who works as a medic. I sat in shock, trying to comprehend what was happening, and knowing we needed to leave.

NEXT…

Inevitably I had to call my bride and explain that I would be delayed. My husband and Jessica taped the nail back down and bandaged it up as best they could. I wore a pair of flip flops through the day while taking pain relief and drinking lots of fluids. I was lucky to have both Jessica and Amber as assistants that day, and the pair really came through for me and our couple. They made sure I was ok while also ensuring that we gave the best images to Kristin and Marc who were equally as sweet about my pre-wedding injury.

Yesterday, I got up and went straight to the doctor. He took great care of everything and I returned home to spend the rainy day off of my feet. I can’t lie and say that it was easy or enjoyable, but it was very humbling and eye-opening. I learned a lot in this crisis situation and I am so so grateful for the amazing people in my life who lift me up when I am literally a toe down!

“THAT WON’T HAPPEN TO ME.”

Whether you have said it or not, you have likely thought it in regards to overhearing someone’s tragic circumstances. On wedding day there isn’t a huge amount of space for error, tardiness, change, or chance. People spend months planning to be sure every detail has been thought of. We all know that weddings can be chaos even when organized to the max. How can we be prepared for the unthinkable?

TIPS, TIPS:

1. Cover your booty. Make sure that you include something in your contract about unforeseen circumstance. It’s important to not only explain what this clause means to your clients, but what would happen should anything happen to you that would keep you from arriving to fulfill your contract. Your preparedness will eliminate stress on your end while it will also put your couple at ease.
2. Two is better than one. Sometimes it isn’t just about what happens to you. You should always use a second shooter, not just to increase the quality of the gallery you give, but so there is someone else dedicated to this wedding day. If for some reason you can’t be there, they still can be and they may even have enough time to find a replacement assistant as well. Furthermore, make sure that you have a backup camera body as well. You never know when technology will fail or if something will get dropped. Be equipped with both a extra human body (second shooter or assistant) and DSLR body.
3. First aid. We are so quick to put our health and needs last during wedding season. We are worried more about packing our gear, memory cards, lens wipes, amongst other things that we forget about how important it is to be ready for the smallest things like cuts, burns, or worse… what happened to me this weekend! Having a basic aid supply on hand in your car can come in super handy. Not just for you, but the clients you’re serving.

NO MATTER WHAT…

You got this.

BTS Phone Photography | Jessica Hunt

Ribbon | Honey Silks Co.

Calligraphy | Amy Cameron

Venue | Overhills Mansion

Health Care | Patient First